“Simple peck-order bullying is only the beginning of the kind of hierarchical behavior that can lead to racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, classism, and all the other 'isms' that cause so much suffering in the world.” Octavia E. Butler. Everyone needs their “place” in society: leader, hunter, builder, or even follower and securing a place in society can often lead to conflict. The need for hierarchy is evident all throughout Lord of the Flies, a novel by William Golding about a group of British boys stranded alone on an island. The boys are able to form “social classes” by the end of chapter one by establishing dominance over one another, even if they had to do it through simple peck-order bullying. The formation of social classes is one of the most important and impactful events in Lord of the Flies.
The first example of an established hierarchy is when Ralph and Piggy meet. Piggy asks Ralph all these questions and invites him to answer but it takes fourteen lines of dialogue until Ralph responds to Piggy. Golding describes Ralph's behavior towards Piggy when he writes, “He tried to be offhand and not too obviously uninterested, but the fat boy hurried after him.” (8). The language in which Golding uses to describe Piggy is also somewhat demeaning. For example, Piggy is described as “fat boy” until he tells Ralph that …show more content…
Golding is able to artfully create these classes by showing examples of intimidation, a need for leadership, and also a need for a place on the pecking order. The indirect message that Golding seems to be trying to get across to the reader is that social classes will form anywhere, even in the most isolated and “pure” societies. Whether they form through ‘simple peck-order bullying” or through age and size differences one thing is certain, everyone contains a need for a “place” in
The first example of an established hierarchy is when Ralph and Piggy meet. Piggy asks Ralph all these questions and invites him to answer but it takes fourteen lines of dialogue until Ralph responds to Piggy. Golding describes Ralph's behavior towards Piggy when he writes, “He tried to be offhand and not too obviously uninterested, but the fat boy hurried after him.” (8). The language in which Golding uses to describe Piggy is also somewhat demeaning. For example, Piggy is described as “fat boy” until he tells Ralph that …show more content…
Golding is able to artfully create these classes by showing examples of intimidation, a need for leadership, and also a need for a place on the pecking order. The indirect message that Golding seems to be trying to get across to the reader is that social classes will form anywhere, even in the most isolated and “pure” societies. Whether they form through ‘simple peck-order bullying” or through age and size differences one thing is certain, everyone contains a need for a “place” in